Refrigerating shipping container



May 18, 1954 H. N. LAPETINA REFRIGERATING SHIPPING CONTAINER Filed Nov.l, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l I I l 1 1 l l l a. @4% T Y. Nic m mp I In .M

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ATTCI RN EYS H. N. LAPETINA REFRIGERATING SHIPPING CONTAINER May 18,1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. l, 1951 Y l l f I Y www o o o ogm. a B7T 4 z o o NZ |15 i| .||1| w Il o o o N e l, lw! ifi o 0 I v, Z 1 a /4 3c l G .u 3 o 0 O f O W n /l\ o e ,m lll ill |l IIIII Il Il 0 e o W a..,1 o o a 71.1 2 o U e VLr :fn n: :5., 3 O 3 O O O O HUH f 7 Z Il I O O OO O Z x w -`2 1:1: i -I 1--I n I. ,n O 8 O O O 6 0 G O C 0 O O ,J 0 F: el O O V O mv x /l\\ b Mw f 7 o o NV O O m o IIIIHHUIIIF l I l l I l l ll I l l |I- I o o o o o\ 7 Il I| w ATTE RN EYS Patented May 18, 1954 4fUNITED sTATss eATENT oFFIcE Herbert N. Lapetina, Norfoik, va.Application November 1, 1951, Serial No. 254,335

l This invention relates to packaging cartons and containersparticularly adapted for shipping produce, and in particular a containerhaving means for providing circulation through produots therein and alsoareas at the ends divided off from the interior of the container andpro-` viding compartments for ice and the like.

The purpose of this invention is to provide means `for obtainingcirculation through ship ping cartons and containers whereby cool airfrom ice or Dry Ice positioned in an end of the container is circulatedthrough the interior thereof.

Various types of cartons and containers have been provided for packagingproduce such as `fruitsvegetables, owers, and frozen juices, ice cream,fresh shrimp, iish, chicken, turkeys, heef, pork and the like, however,damp air without circulation damages many types of produce and where theproducts are frozen they are diicult to pack in and remove from cars,trucks and the like. With this thought in mind this invention conmtemplates a corrugated paper box like carton having transverselydisposed spacing trays at the ends and having a longitudinallypositioned perforated. tube extended through the center.

Ihe object of this invention is, therefore, to provide means for forminga shipping carton whereby circulation is provided through products inthe carton. i

Another object of the invention is to provide `a shipping carton havingVentilating means therein that is readily adapted for carrying diiferenttypes of produce.

A further object of the invention is to provide `a` shipping cartonhaving Ventilating means therein which is of a simple and economicalconstruction.

With these and other objects and advantages in View the inventionembodies an elongated carton substantially rectangular shaped in crosssection having closed upper and lower ends with an elongated perforatedtube extended therethrough and with transversely disposed partitionsspaced from the ends.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from thefollowing description taken in connection with the drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical section through the container showing an iceholding tray in the upper end.

Figure 2 is a detail illustrating a perforated tube adapted to beextended through the center of a carton.

Figure 3 is a blank showing a perforated sheet 1 Claim. (Cl. (i2-91.5)

2 of material from which the tube shown in Fig. 2 is formed.

Figure 4 is a sectional plan through the carton taken on line 4 4 ofFig. l.

Figure 5 is a plan view showing one of the trays of the container beforethe anges at the edges and tube holding tabs at the center are folded tooperative position.

Figure 6 is a side elevational View of the container showing an innerliner such as is used for frozen produce such as vegetables, fruits, icecream and the like.

Figure '7 is a sectional plan through the container shown in Fig. 6showing perforaticns in the trays and circulating channels in thecorners.

Figure 8 is a plan View showing a blank from which the trays are formed,being similar to that shown `in Fig. 5, and illustrating a modificationwherein the trays are formed with perforations and the corners are cuton diagonal lines.

Figure 9 is a detail showing one end of a blank from which the liner ofthe carton is formed, illustrating the diagonally disposed corners andwith parts broken away.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference characters denotecorresponding parts the ventilated refrigerating container of thisinvention includes a box like casing having side walls itl and il, endwalls i2 and i3, end naps Alltand l5, secured by adhesive strips ortapes It` and Il, respectively, a perforated centrally .positioned tubeI8, an upper tray l5, spaced from one end of the casing, and a similartray 20 spaced from the opposite end of the casing.

In the design shown in Fig. 1 the trays i9 and V2!) are formed with datpieces of material with anges 2l at the edges and tabs 22 at the centerand, as illustrated in Fig. 1, the tabs 22 extend downwardly providing acenter opening 23 in which the end of the tube I8 is positioned.

The flanges 2| are positioned against the inner surfaces of the wallslil, Il, I2, and I3 and with the flanges positioned as shown in Fig. lthey provide spacing elements spacing the flat base sections of thepartitions or trays from the ends oi the container.

The anges 2l of the horizontally disposed trays may be short as shownin. the lower end of the container, illustrated in Fig. 1, or long asshown in the upper end of the container, and it will be understood thattrays with flanges of the same length may be provided in both ends oi'the container or any suitable arrangement of the trays may be used asmay be required for the different produce or products carried in thecontainers.

In this design the center tube I8 is formed from a ilat sheet ofmaterial 24 with perforations 25 provided inthe sheet and tube.

In the design illustrated in Fig. 6 a container 25 similar to thecontainer shown in Fig. 1 is provided with a continuous lining 21 andthe lining is formed with diagonally disposed sections 28 at the cornersproviding open channels 29 to facilitate circulation through thecontainer.

` As shown in Fig. 7 the ends of the sheet of material forming thelining 21 are positioned in one of the diagonally disposed cornerswhereby end flanges 3Q and 3i are joined by an adhesive K strip 32. Y

The liner 2l is formed-from the blank.33,illus trated in Fig. 9 andthesections of the blank forming the diagonally positioned corners .aref

provided with V-shaped notches Srl in the ends to providecorninunication between the areas in the channels 29 and interior of thecontainer. The ends Se and si are also provided with ldiagonallypositioned corners 35 for the saine purpose.

For this use the carton is provided with trays 55 having franges 37 onthe edges and tabs 38 at the center, similar to the trays i9 and 20, andas shown in the drawing the trays .'36 are yprovided with periorations39 to facilitate circulation between the` end compartments beyond thetrays and the intermediate -part of the carton or container. The trays36 are also provided with diagonally disposed corners :t to correspondwith the sections 28.

The container illustrated in Fig. 6 is also provided with a centrallydisposed perforated tube llll corresponding to thetube I8 and with theperforaticns A6?. of thetube coacting with the perforations v39 of thetrays orpans circulation is provided throughout the interior of thecontainer. By this means cold air from ice positioned in the upper endof the container circulates downwardly through produce -in thecontainer`and the warmer air throughout the produce passes upwardly through thechannels 29 formed inthe corners.

It will Valso be understood -that for use for a certain product, such aswet commodities vincluding sea food and particularly fresh shrimp and shand also for use for shipping chickens, turkeys, beef, pork and othersimilar products it is desired, to coat the inner surface of the-container with a lining of paraffin and all products of this typeshould be Yfrozen before they areiplaced in the container.

It will also be understood that for use with some products andparticularly frozen commodiparallel end walls formed from flapsYhingedly `connected 'to the ends of the side walls, means for securingtheiaps in place, a continuous liner arranged in said casing andpositioned contiguous to the inner surface of said side walls, saidliner being provided with diagonally disposed sections at its cornersproviding open channels forV the circulation therethrough of air, theends of thev liner abutting each otherin one of thediagonally disposedsectionsy thereof, means securing the abutting ends of the linertogether, the ends vof the diagonally disposed sections being providedwith notches, an upper tray having flanges onfits edges positioned inthe casing in spaced parallel relation withthe end walls, the flanges ofsaid tray being arranged contiguous'to the inner ysurface of said linerand extending between -saidtray and the upper wallya second tray-arranged spaced parallel relation with-and below said vfirst tray, saidsecond tray having flanges arranged contiguous to the inner'surface ofsaid liner and extending between said second tray and the'lowerrnoaJ endwall, said trays having-the same :area as the inside cross sectionalarea of said' liner, said trays being provided with centrally:positioned registering openings Aand with vperforations, a tubeextending from the upper end Wall to the lowerend wall through saidopenings and beingrprovided with perforations throughout Vits length,'tabs extending outwardly from said trays and surrounding said tube, thearea between Vsaid nrst tray and the upper end wall providing a storagechamber for refrigerant, said notches =.and perforations in said tubeproviding `communication between the refrigerant and all parts ofthecontainer. Y

References Cited in the le of .this patent

